Wednesday, April 19, 2017

VATICAN CITY STATE, EUROPE

For the sake of right information and proper knowledge, in
view of objective truths and existing
realities, it is but right and proper to call attention to the proper understanding
of what is commonly known and called the Vatican
and everything else significant that goes therewith as a matter of
constitutional provisions that properly manifest what really is the Vatican in
fact and in truth, the official address of which is Vatican City which is a State,
which is in Europe.

To start with, the Pope – now in the person of Pope Francis – has and exercises the
following distinct and pivotal Offices: “Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ.
Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the
Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and
Metropolitan of the Roman Province.
Sovereign of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God. In
addition, he is the Supreme Head of the Vatican City State in Europe.

To assist him in governing the Universal Catholic Church in
her apostolic, judicial, and executive functions, the Pope has the following
Departments with their respective commitments and defined agenda: Secretariat
of State. Congregation of the Doctrine
of the Faith. Congregation for the
Causes of Saints. Congregation for the
Oriental Churches. Congregation for
Bishops. Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Congregation for the Clergy. Congregation for Educational
Institutions. Apostolic Penitentiary. Supreme Tribunal of the Signatura
Apostolic. Tribunal of the Roman
Rota. Pontificate Council of the Laity. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity. Pontifical Council of the
Family. Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace. Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
Pontifical Council for Health Workers.
Pontifical Council for Religious Dialogues. Pontifical Council for Culture. Pontifical Council for Social
Communications. Pontifical Council for
Promoting New Evangelization.
Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See plus other Agencies
such as different Offices in terms of
different standing management responsibilities and other apostolic commitments.

So is it that Vatican City being a State, it has Diplomatic
Relations with different Countries. When
these Countries send their Representative to the Vatican City State, they each
carry the title of Ambassador. when the Vatican sends its Representatives to
the same Countries, the latter known as Apostolic
Nuncios. Through a Geneva
Convention, it was therein agreed that the Apostolic Nuncios sent to Countries
with diplomatic relations to the Vatican City State, are ipso facto the Heads
of the Diplomatic Core in the said Countries.

Yes. Being a State,
the Vatican City has international relations with Countries wanting and willing
to have such State relational inter-connectivity. Yes.
The Apostolic Nuncios have pastoral concerns in representing the Vatican
as a State. No. The Apostolic Nuncios
have no political bearing in the different States they are sent to. No. The Ambassadors of different States sent
to the Vatican neither have any political relevance in the acts and agenda of
the Vatican as a State.

Oscar Cruz

About The Blogger

Most Reverend Oscar V. Cruz, D.D. is the Archbishop-Emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan. He is currently the Judicial Vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals. He is a prolific writer, having published several dozen books mostly on judicial and moral matters. His most recent book is about the Social Doctrines of the Church. He also has a blog where he posts regularly. He is an avid coin collector and dabbles in woodworking art.